Background and career
Jermain Colin Defoe OBE (born 7 October 1982) is an English football coach and former professional player. He was most recently the manager of National League club Woking. Defoe was a striker and began his career with Charlton Athletic, joining their youth team aged 14, before moving to West Ham United aged 16 and rising through the ranks. He made his first-team debut for West Ham in 2000 and, after a season-long loan spell at AFC Bournemouth during the 2000–01 season, established himself in the West Ham line-up. After West Ham's relegation in 2003, a move to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2004 soon followed, where Defoe played for four years before being sold to Portsmouth in January 2008. He spent one season at Fratton Park before returning to Tottenham in the January 2009 transfer window. He left for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2014, before returning to England in January 2015 to sign for Sunderland where he stayed until the club was relegated from the Premier League in 2017. Following a brief spell at AFC Bournemouth in 2017, Defoe joined Scottish side Rangers in 2018 on loan. The move was later made permanent. At his new club he was involved in winning the 2020–21 league title. This was the first and only league title in his career at the age of 38. In April 2011, Defoe became the 20th player to score a century of Premier League goals, and is currently the tenth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history with 162 goals as well as the sixth-highest goalscorer in Tottenham's history. Defoe also holds the Premier League record for the most goals scored as a substitute, with 24. On 19 November 2016, Defoe scored his 150th Premier League goal, becoming the joint tenth-highest goal scorer in Premier League history. Defoe debuted for the England national team in 2004 after representing England at youth level, earning 57 senior caps and scoring 20 goals, including three appearances and a goal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Defoe was born in Beckton, east London. He was born to a Dominican father and his mother is of Saint Lucian descent. Defoe attended St Joachim Primary School in Custom House, London and St Bonaventure's in Forest Gate, London. Defoe grew up in Canning Town and when his family moved to Beckton, played five-a-side football at Newham Leisure Centre. He joined the Sunday league team Senrab, well known in London for producing players such as Lee Bowyer, John Terry, Ashley Cole and Ledley King, and then joined the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall, Shropshire, as a 14-year-old in 1997. While there, he attended Idsall School.
Defoe was spotted playing football by Charlton Athletic who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall in 1997. Two years later, he took the controversial decision, aged 16, to turn professional with West Ham United, following which Charlton were subsequently awarded compensation rising to £1.4 million contingent on Defoe's Premier League and international appearances. At West Ham, he was a member of the Under-19 team that won the Premier Academy League title in 1999–2000, scoring twice against Arsenal in the play-off final. Defoe made his first-team debut in a League Cup match against Walsall in September 2000, scoring in a 1–0 win. Shortly thereafter, he joined Second Division club AFC Bournemouth on a near season-long loan, where he scored in ten consecutive matches, equalling John Aldridge's and Clarrie Jordan's post-war record. He scored 18 goals in 29 league appearances for Bournemouth. West Ham manager Harry Redknapp tipped him for stardom, saying, "He's done great. I sent him out to Bournemouth to get some experience playing league football and he's coped marvellously. To score 10 goals in 10 games is a terrific achievement. He's a bright lad who's full of confidence. Nothing knocks him, he's a typical goal-scorer. If he misses, he'll be there the next time looking for a goal. He's a kid with a big future." Defoe finished as West Ham's top scorer in the 2001–02 season despite being used primarily as a substitute by manager Glenn Roeder, scoring 14 goals in 39 league and cup appearances, one of which was a 1–0 away win against Manchester United in December 2001, as West Ham finished seventh in the Premier League. He scored a further 11 goals in 42 league and cup appearances in 2002–03 but was unable to prevent West Ham from being relegated. Less than 24 hours after the club had been relegated, Defoe made a written request for a transfer, saying, "As much as I love West Ham United I feel that now is the right time for me to move on in my career. This is very much a career decision. I am very ambitious and hungry to achieve at the highest levels of the game for both club and country." The timing of his request, however, drew criticism from both fans and teammates and was turned down by the club. He later apologised to supporters, saying, "I mishandled that move and I can only apologise. I'm young and I've learned from it. I still played my hardest for West Ham and gave them 100% and want to thank the fans for their support." Defoe began 2003–04 with West Ham but a refusal to sign a new contract and disciplinary problems, including three sendings-off, which saw him play only 22 matches out of a possible 34, led to West Ham accepting an offer from Tottenham Hotspur for him in the January transfer window.
Defoe joined Tottenham in February 2004 for an initial fee of £6 million, rising to £7 million depending on "specific performance criteria", and with Bobby Zamora joining West Ham. Manager David Pleat said, "I can't think of a British striker at his age who has achieved as much in such a short space of time. His goal record for a 21-year-old is quite exceptional. I hope he will have a fine career at Tottenham." Defoe marked his arrival at Tottenham with a goal on his debut in the 4–3 home win over Portsmouth in February 2004 and added a further six in the remainder of 2003–04, scoring 7 goals in 15 matches. He then scored 13 goals in 36 matches in the Premier League, including a hat-trick in a 5–1 win over Southampton in December 2004, and nine goals in eight matches in the FA Cup and League Cup, in 2004–05. He also received the club's Player of the Year award for the 2004 calendar year, as voted by season ticket holders and Spurs members. Despite speculation linking him with other clubs, Defoe signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Tottenham in April 2005. The following season was not as profitable for Defoe, and Spurs manager Martin Jol used Defoe in rotation with Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov and Mido providing the competition for a starting position. Defoe started 23 times and came on as substitute 13 times, scoring nine goals. Defoe made 49 league and cup appearances for Tottenham, scoring 18 goals, during 2006–07 as Tottenham competed in the UEFA Cup as well as the domestic competitions. He appeared to bite West Ham player Javier Mascherano on the shoulder during Tottenham's 1–0 win over West Ham in October 2006, sparking a melee between players of both teams. The FA declined to take action against Defoe as the referee, Steve Bennett, had booked Defoe for the incident. Defoe scored his 50th goal for Tottenham in the 2–1 win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day in December 2006, in which he scored both goals, and scored in Tottenham's 2–0 win over Charlton in May 2007, which condemned his former club to relegation to the Championship. During the summer of 2007, there was speculation about Defoe's future at Tottenham following the arrival of Darren Bent for a fee of £16.5 million. However, Defoe insisted that he would stay at Tottenham and fight for his place, saying, "I'm really excited about the new season and the prospect of another campaign in Europe. We have made some good signings and are now stronger and better equipped to compete in all competitions." On 20 September 2007, Defoe came on as a substitute against Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta to score twice in a 6–1 win, his first goals of the season. On 25 November 2007, he missed a penalty against former club West Ham at the Boleyn Ground in added time which would have won the match for Spurs; the match finished 1–1.
Defoe joined Portsmouth in January 2008 for £7.5 million. He scored the equalising goal on his debut, a 1–1 draw at home to Chelsea. In March 2008, he was unable to play against Tottenham as the Premier League ruled that he was ineligible to do so as he was initially signed on loan in January 2008. In Portsmouth's match against Wigan Athletic the following week, he scored twice; in so doing, he became the first ever Portsmouth player to score in his first five home matches. Due to appearances in Tottenham's third and fourth round ties, Defoe found himself cup-tied for all the subsequent matches of Pompey's successful 2007–08 FA Cup campaign. This also meant that he missed out on playing in Spurs' League Cup final victory over Chelsea, however he still received his winners' medal, albeit 10 years later, in December 2018. Defoe ended 2007–08 with eight goals in 12 appearances for Portsmouth. Defoe scored Portsmouth's first goal of 2008–09 on 30 August 2008 with the opener in a 3–0 win at Everton, and then scored their first home goals on 13 September with a brace against Middlesbrough. Five days later, he contributed a goal and an assist in Pompey's first ever major European match, a 2–0 UEFA Cup first round win over Portuguese club Vitória de Guimarães on 18 September.
In January 2009, Portsmouth chairman Peter Storrie revealed Defoe's intentions to leave the club in the near future. This came after joining the club only in the same transfer window of the previous year. It was reported that Defoe's former club Tottenham made a formal approach for the striker, but no agreement was reached; Spurs manager Harry Redknapp described the clubs as "miles apart in their valuation of the player", suggesting that Portsmouth wanted "in excess of £20 million". After negotiations, Portsmouth accepted a bid from Tottenham thought to be around £15.75 million (including fees owed to Tottenham for the previous transfers of Younès Kaboul and Pedro Mendes and waiving a £4 million sell-on clause that had also been negotiated during his transfer from Spurs to Portsmouth) on 6 January 2009. The player had agreed to a five-year contract and was confirmed as a Tottenham player by his new club on 9 January 2009. Defoe was presented at White Hart Lane with a carnival atmosphere before the start of Spurs' League Cup clash against Burnley after his return to White Hart Lane.
